Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a dramatic increase in the number of citizens who need help, especially in the form of basic necessities such as food, hygiene products, firewood and medicine.
Soup kitchens across the country are facing pressure as pleas for meals and basic necessities increase daily. At the same time, while poverty is on the rise, politicians are taking the opportunity to, as usual, make big promises in order to gain power. However, many citizen complaints end up only on social networks, without concrete changes.
“I’m only 16 years old and we go without meals every day. The only time I manage to eat is when someone from the neighborhood brings it to us,” testified a young girl whose message was addressed to the Children’s Public Kitchen in Lukavac, one of the many that receive an increasing number of requests for help every day.
Biljana Blagojević, who is coming for a meal for her brother, announces: “He receives the minimum pension.” Is it possible to live on the minimum pension? He can’t normally. It’s very good for him, at least one meal.”
Volunteers in these kitchens are doing their best to help those in need, but resources are running thin.
“As colder weather comes, so do more users. In addition to food, they are also looking for clothes and other necessities. We try to meet every request, but it’s getting harder,” says Haris Likić, a volunteer at the Lukavac Children’s Public Kitchen.
With the help of humanitarians and local businessmen, public kitchens like this one in Lukavac try to feed over 400 people, without the number of new users constantly growing. On the other hand, the Merhamet organization of Bosnia and Herzegovina manages 46 public kitchens where about 8,000 people are fed. Kenan Vrbanjac, president of Merhamet, notes: “Suddenly, every pensioner with a minimum pension becomes a social case. Those who live in cities are particularly affected, where they have to pay high bills, especially after collecting electricity and food.”
The situation is equally difficult in the Red Cross. “We are often unable to respond positively to every request,” said Merima Sarajlić, secretary of the Tuzla Canton Red Cross, emphasizing the constant increase in the number of those seeking help.
While the struggle for the basic needs of life takes place on the ground every day, the political scene remains unchanged. Pre-election campaigns promise a lot, but as before, the promises remain unfulfilled, while the real needs of citizens are increasingly transferred to the backs of humanitarian organizations.
Psychologist and human rights activist, Mira Vilušić, notes that decades of unfulfilled promises have led to growing distrust and apathy among citizens. “In a country where the people need to defend its nature, its air, its everything, and those who are heavily paid do not do that, it is a country that needs a big cleanup,” concludes Vilušić.
While citizens are increasingly dependent on the cauldron, basic health and other services are becoming increasingly unattainable. Poverty deepens, and politicians remain untouchable, enjoying luxury while the people suffer, BHRT writes.
